Fake News: Who believes it? Who spread it?

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K03194
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 10010:Social psychology-related
• Research Institution: Hokusei Gakuen University
• Principal Investigator: Majima Yoshimasa 北星学園大学, 社会福祉学部, 教授 (50344536)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 中村 紘子 東京電機大学, 理工学部, 研究員 (30521976)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: フェイクニュース / 陰謀論 / 陰謀論信念 / 直感的思考 / 共有 / 文化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study explored the relationship between fake news, epistemically unwarranted beliefs, and individual cognitive and social characteristics. First, Japanese versions of the conspiracy beliefs scales (GCBS-J and CMQ-J) and the Individual Differences in Anthropomorphism Questionnaire (IDAQ) were developed, and their reliability and validity were confirmed. The results indicated that epistemically unwarranted beliefs are positively correlated with intuitive thinking styles and negatively correlated with reflective thinking, although a positive correlation with rational thinking was observed among Japanese participants. The sharing of fake news and conspiracy theories was found to be influenced by interpersonal relational factors and self-presentation strategies than by the truthfulness of the information. The study also observed different tendencies between Japanese and Western participants regarding the impact of self-presentation strategies.

Free Research Field

認知心理学，認知科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は，フェイクニュースや非実証的信念の理解に重要な知見を提供し，それらがどのようにして拡散し，人々の信念形成に影響を与えるかを明らかにした。特に，日本語版の信念尺度の開発と検証を通じて，文化的背景が認知と信念に与える影響を示した点は，新たな視点を提供するものである。また，フェイクニュースの共有行動に関しては，他者との関係性や自己呈示が大きな役割を果たすことが明らかとなり，今後の情報伝達研究において重要な示唆を与えるものである。これらの結果を基に，誤情報の拡散を防ぐための対策や教育プログラムの開発が期待される。